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Laura's Fight-Carcinoid Syndrome/HM

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Laura suffers from a number of rare diseases, including Carcinoid Cancer,  that have taken their toll on her health and finances.  In 2011 Laura went on disability due to neurological damage caused by Hemiplegic Migraines, Cluster Headaches, Colitis and Fibromyalgia-which were diagnosed when she was living in Georgia.  The day her youngest son Tommy graduated from high school, she was rushed to the hospital with severe edema and congestive heart failure. During this time she was fighting the insurance company, who originally denied her disability diagnosis. 
Laura and Ken moved back to CT to be near her doctors who specialize in her rare diseases, but took a huge hit financially by trading their low mortgage and taxes in Georgia for their high mortgage high tax house in CT.  Laura was also paying off debts incurred from caring for her mother who had a stroke and cancer before her death in 2009.
In 2014, further testing led to the diagnosis of Carcinoid Syndrome, which is a rare cancer, part of the Neuroendocrine Tumor (NETS) family.  Steve Jobs and Dave Thomas of Wendy's both suffered from a form of NETS and succumbed to this disease, which is not curable.  The cost of the medicine and treatment is exorbitant and Medicare does not cover many of the treatments as they are considered experimental or too costly.  Many of the treatments are palliative in nature, but the newer treatments have shown that the tumors are growing slower and even shrinking.  Laura has participated in clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute, but unfortunately, the clinical trials ended.  
Currently Laura lives in constant pain and is on oxygen when she sleeps.  She suffers from paralysis of half of her body when she has hemiplegic migraines, which can last from 5 minutes up to 6 days. She also has cluster headaches and significant stomach issues.  Her appetite has diminished and she dropped fifty pounds in two months.  When she has a good day she is able to go out, but it comes at a cost and she needs to recoup for days afterwards.  Her husband is her full time caregiver and works at home so he is available to her 24/7.  He took a customer service job to provide her some health insurance, but it is limited.
Laura has always supported others on their journey and now needs our support to help her live.  In a few months her emergency medicine will expire and she does not have the funds to refill it.  Without it, she can go into carcinoid crisis and possibly not survive another attack.  If she has an anaphylactic reaction to an allergen(Laura has had severe allergies since she was a child), she will need epinephrine.  The Epinephrine can trigger a Carcinoid Crisis. 
Our healthcare system has failed Laura, so she needs our help!  A friend since childhood, Laura has always had a kind and generous heart. She was blessed to marry Ken, who is just as kind and caring, and has done everything he can to help her through this!
Please pray that Laura will get the support she needs to survive this rare cancer!
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Donations 

  • Grady Shuman
    • $50 
    • 5 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Debbie Myhill
Organizer
New Milford, CT
Laura Russo D'Ademo
Beneficiary

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